1-hydroxy-4-androstene-3, 17-dione and esters thereof



-the-.culture mediadescribedhereinafter. media .are :employed .which;-,are deficient iinrminerals and 1-HYDROXY-4-ANDROSTENE-3,17-DIONE AND ESTERS THEREOF Raymond M. Dodson, Park Ridgqand Robert I). Muir, Deerfield, 11]., assignorsto G. D.:Searle& Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application June 6, 1956, Serial No. 589,581

4 Claims. (Cl.260397.4)

The resent invention relates to valuable oxygenated derivatives of androstenedione, and is particularly concerned with 1-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,l7 dione and esters thereof. The compounds of the present invention can be represented by the general structural formula .CHs

CH3 l wherein R can be hydrogen or a'loweralkanoyl radical. When R is a lower alkanoyl radical, it can represent such acyl groups as formyl, acetyLprop'ionyl, butyryl, valeryl, hexanoyl, heptanoyl, and octanoy'l, said acyl groups being-the alkanoyl radicals of alkanoic acids containing fewer than 9 carbon atoms.

1--hydroxy-4-androstene-3 ,l7-dione can be obtained *by subjecting 4-a-ndrostene-3,-17-dione, under controlled con dit-ions, to the oxygenating activity of a particular Penicillium organism isolated from a sample of Illi-noissoil.

A culture of this microorganism has been deposited with the American Type Culture Collection, *Washington, 'D. C., and has been designated as Penicilliumsp., accession number 12556. organism is sometimes referred to hereinafter as ATCC 12,556.

In the manufacture of 1 hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17- dione, the selected strain of organism is cu'ltured'on a medium favorable .to its propagation. Synthetic or partially synthetic liquid media are generally preferred, as such liquid media afford certain advantages. Incorpora- .tion ofavailablecarbon, nitrogen, minerals and accessory nutrient factors is facilitated hy'the-use ofa liguid medium. Use of a liquid culture medium affords additional advantages in permitting efiicient aeration, intimate contact of the steroid substrate with the oxygenating enzymes of the fungus and conveniences in the isolation of the final product. Such a ,culture medium can incorporate a carbohydrate as a source of available carbon, and proteins, hydrolysis products of :proteins, or inorganic nitrates or ammonium salts as'a source of available nitrogen. Additional nutrient factors can be supplied by the incorporation of corn steep liquor into the medium. Mineral constituents and other accessorygrowth factors recognized in the prior areas beingnecessary or desirable for the growth of fungi are usually naturally present in whensynthetic other accessory ,growth :factor ,esuch .constituents :are added *as required.

Ihe sterilized (cultur --medium 11's ainoculated cwith Penicillium sp AUZCC ;.1;2,-5-5.6,-, and growth :ofzthe :organi m. is llow i .rro e -1undenaerobic .;conditions ,at a

suitable-temperature. :lemperaturescwithinsthezrame pf 2,895,231 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 by a combination of these means.

The exact time and manner of introducing the steroidal substrate to the oxygenating activity ofthe Pen icillium organism or enzymes is a relativelynon-critic al factor and these operating details can be selected from within fairly wide limits. For example, the steroid can be added to the culture medium prior to sterilization, at the timeof inoculation of the mediumwith the fungus, or after the fungus has been allowed to grow for a periodof time, conveniently up to 48 hours. The steroid to be'oxy'gen ated .can be added to the culture medium as asolid, a suspension, or asolution. A desirably fine state of dispersion of the steroid is achieved by adding it to the fermentation medium as a solution in a small amount of ethanol. Oxygenation of the steroid can be achieved are needed for the growth of the fung us.

Satisfactory yields of oxygenated product are time required for satisfactory oxygenation ofthe steroid. A peroid of fungal growth of 24 hours, followed by a steroid contact time of 24 hours, has been fo r 1nd togiye generally good results when the fermentation is ponducted substantially as described herein. At the conclusion of thefermentation period, the steroidal product, vvhich can contain unreacted androstenedione as well as steroidal transformation products, is recovered by such means as extraction with methylene chloride, and is subjected to separation into individual components'bysuch meansas ractionation on a silica gel chromatography column. Dependingupon specific conditions, there can be isolated a variety of transformation products. In representative examples as described herein, there is obtained as the principal transformation product :tene-3,1-7.-dione, In addition to unconverted 4-androstenesuch as 2,8ehydroxy l-androstene3 1*7-dione.

Ihe structure of. 1a-hydroxy 4-androstene-3, 17-dione is saturatedilinkage, and analysis of molecular rotatorydifferences.

hydrides and lower alkanoyl halides, suitably inpyridine solution, the :1onealkanoyloxye4-androstene-3,1-7-diones of this inventionresult. i 1

The compounds of the present invention -have-u'seful pharmacological properties. :In additiontliey are valu able chemical intermediates, as they afford an unusually smooth route, heretofore unknown, for the manufacture of steroids having an aromatic ring A. It is well known in the art that processes and intermediates which can be employed in the conversion of androstane derivatives to estrane derivatives are of great value. Such a transformation can be achieved by the sequence of steps which comprises brominating and debrominating androstane-3,17- dione, followed by pyrolyzing the resulting 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione to estrone. With the compositions of the present invention, estrone can be manufactured from compounds of the androstane series without the use of the inefficient and difficult bromination and debromination steps. As described hereinafter, 1u-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17- dione and its esters are directly converted into estrone by pyrolysis.

The epimeric compounds, lfl-hydroxyl-androstene- 3,17-dione and the 1B-alkanoyloxy-4-androstene-3,17- diones will also afford estrone upon pyrolysis and are therefore equivalents of the compounds specifically described herein.

This invention will appear more fully from the examples which follow. These examples are set forth by way of illustration only and it will be understood that the invention is not to be construed as limited in spirit or in scope by the details contained therein, as many modifications in materials and methods will be apparent from this disclosure to those skilled in the art. temperatures are given in degrees centigrade C.) and quantities of materials, except as otherwise noted, in parts by weight.

EXAMPLE 1 A stainless steel fermentation tank having a capacity of about 40 liters is charged with a solution of 1000 grams of dextrose, 200 grams of a commercial enzymatic digest of lactalbumin, 90 milliliters of corn steep liquor and milliliters of concentrated hydrochloric acid in liters of tap water. Five grams of an anti-foaming agent, suitably of a silicone-type, is added and the contents of the vessel are sterilized by the introduction of live steam under pressure to a final temperature of about 110 C. and a final volume of about liters. The contents of the fermentor are cooled and inoculated with a spore suspension of Penicillium sp., ATCC 12,556. The contents of the fermentor are kept agitated by a stirrer operating at about 200-300 revolutions per minute. A. stream of air In these examples which has been sterilized by filtration through a glass wool filter is introduced through an inlet tube into the fermentor at a rate of from 15 to 22 liters of air per minute. This rate of aeration is measured by means of a rotameter placed in the sterile portion of the air line. Growth of the organism is allowed to continue for 24 hours at about 25 C., during which time the pH of the fermentation medium drops from about 4.5 to 3.6. During the 24 hour period of growth of the organism, additional small portions of anti-foaming agent are added as required. A solution of 10 grams of 4-androstene-3,17-dione in 750 milliliters of ethanol is added and fermentation in the presence of the steroid substrate is continued for an additional 24 hours at 25 C., with the same rates of stirring and aeration. The contents of the fermentor are stirred for 1 hour with 18 liters of methylene chloride. The mycelium is then separated by filtration and washed with about twice its volume of methylene chloride. The aqueous broth collected as a filtrate in the separation of the mycelium is stirred for an additional hour with a fresh portion of methylene chloride. The combined methylene chloride extracts, amounting to a total volume of about 40 liters, are concentrated under reduced pressure to a volume of 'about'750 milliliters. This concentrate is washed with water and evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure. The residue is extracted with 100 milliliters of methanol, decolorizing carbon is added and the solution is filtered from insoluble silicone. The filtrate is evaporated to dryness, and a solution of the residue in benzene is free:

tionated on a chromatography column prepared from 1000 grams of silica. The column is developed with 1 liter portions of solvents. Results of. a representative fractionation are given in Table I and in the text which follows. It will be obvious to anyone possessing ordinary skill in chromatographic separations that the absolute positions of elution from the column are subject to variations in different runs, and that residues from successive eluates are combined for purification on the basis of evidence of substantial homogeneity, such as is afiorded by a showing that successive residues have identical or similar melting points.

Table I Solvent, Volume Eluate Fractions Percent Ethyl Solids,

Acetate in Milligrams Benzene Crystalline residues from fractions 25 through 30, afford unconverted 4-androstene-3,17-dione upon purification. The crystalline residues from fractions 34 through 36, when crystallized from a mixture of acetone and cyclohexane, melt in the range of 132-140" C. Upon further purification by crystallization from aqueous acetone and again from a mixture of acetone and cyclohexane, they afford 2fi-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione melting at about 143-145 C. This compound has a specific rotation of about 37 in chloroform solution, and an ultraviolet absorption maximum at 242 millimicrous with a molecular extinction coeflicient of about 14,200.

Other crystalline products appear at various places in the elution sequence. The principal product of the fermentation appears in the crystalline residues of fractions 50 through 59. Crystalline residues from these eluates melt in the range of about -200" C.; they are combined and purified by crystallizations from mixtures of acetone and cyclohexane and from aqueous methanol. In this manner there is obtained 1m-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,1'7- dione melting at about 214.5-217 C. This compound exhibits a specific rotation of about +184 in chloroform solution, and has an ultraviolet absorption maximum at 240 millimicrons with a molecular extinction coeflicient of about 15,000. It has the structural formula O OH, l

EXAMPLE 2 final temperature 30 liters. inoculated with a The contents of of 110 C. and arfinal volume .ofabout The contents-ofthe fermentor are cooled and cultureof Penicilliumsn, ATCC 12,556. the fermentor are kept agitated by a stirreroperating at about 200 revolutions ,perminute. A stream of air which has been sterilized by filtration through a glass wool filter is introduced through an inlettube into the fermentor at minute.

a rate "of from 15 to 22 liters of air per This rate of aeration is measured by means of a rotameter placed in the sterile portion of the air line.

Growth of the organism is allowed to continue for 30 hours at about 25 E. Additional small quantities of anti-foaming agent are added as required. There is then added a solution in 750 milliliters of ethanol, and fermentation in the 10 grams of 4-androstene-3,17-dione presence of the steroid substrate is continued for an additional 14 hours at 25 and aeration. for 1 hour with mycelium is separated twice its volume broth collected as a C., with thesame rates of stirring The contents 'ofthe fermentor are stirred 18 liters of methylene chloride. The

by filtrationand washed with about methylene chloride. The aqueous filtrate in the separation of the mycelium is stirred for an additional hour with a fresh portion of methylene chloride.

chloride extracts,-

duced pressure.

The combined methylene amounting to 'a' total volume of about 40 liters, are concentrated under volume of about 500 milliliters. washed with water and evaporated reduced pressure to a This concentrate is to dryness under re- The non-volatile residue, which consists of about 30 grams, is extracted with 1 resulting solution which may be present Upon filtration carbon. there is obtained This residue is washed hot water and with 100 about 1 the fraction which remains undissolved (about 7 grams) is dissolved in benzene solution and fractionated on a silica gel chromatography column by elution of the column with mixtures taining gradually There is thus obtained of ethyl acetate and benzene conincreasing proportions of ethyl acetate.

as the principal steroidal transformation product 10: hydroxy 4 androstene 3,17 dione which, after purification, is identical with the product of Example 1.

EXAMPLE 3 A solution of 5 parts of 1a-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-

dione, 100 hydride is parts of pyridine and 100 allowed to stand at about 2 The solution is concentrated to dryness parts of acetic an- C. for 20 hours. by such means as The residue is crystallized from aqueous methanol and then from aqueous acetone,

whereby there is obtained 1a-acetoxy-4-androstene-3,17-

CHaC O A solution of 3 dione, parts of EXAMPLE 4 parts of 1a-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,l7- pyridine and 20 parts of acetic anhydride is allowed to stand for .20 hours at about 25 0., after which the mixture is diluted with several times its volume of water. Theprecipita'ted product is collected and crystallized from dilute methanol, whereby there is obtained l-a-acetoxy-4-androstene-3,'17-dione, identical with the product of Example 3.

EXAMPLE 5 A solution o'f2-parts of 1u-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-

dione, 40 parts ofpyridine and 10 .parts of butyric anhydride is allowed to stand at about 25 C. for 48 hours.

'The mixture 'is diluted with several times its volume of EXAMPLE '6 A solution of 1 part of 1a-acetoxy-4-androstene-3,17- dione in 450 parts of a 60 volume percent solution of methanol in water is treated with a small quantity of aqueous sodium hydroxide solution containing 1 part of sodium hydroxide. The mixture is allowed to stand in a nitrogen atmosphere at about solution is washed with small portions of water and concentrated to dryness. By crystallization of the residue from a mixture of acetone and cyclohexane, there is obtained 1,4-androstadiene-3,l7-dione melting at about 140 C. e

EXAMPLE 7 A solution of 5 parts of 2fi-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17- dione, parts of pyridine and 100 parts of acetic anhydride is allowed to stand for 2 hours at about 25 C., and is then diluted with several times its volume of ice The separated product is collected and crystallized from dilute acetone, to afford 2Bacetoxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione melting at about compound has an ultraviolet absorption maximum at 243 millimicrons with a molecular extinction coeflicient of about 15,300, and a specific rotation chloroform solution.

The epimerized ester is obtained as follows. A solution of 4 parts of 2,8-acetoxy-4-androstene-3,l7-dione in 1000 parts of acetic acid is mixed with 200 parts of anhydrous potassium acetate and heated under reflux for 4 hours. The mixture is concentrated to a very small volume under reduced pressure, diluted with water, and extracted with several portions of ether. The ethereal solution is washed with water, with dilute sodium carbonate solution, with water, and dryness.

millimicrons with about 15,500.

7 EXAMPLE 8 A solution of parts of 1a-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17- dione in 900 parts of mineral oil is preheated to 190195 C. and passed in small portions through a tube constructed of non-reactive material and packed with chips of quartz or of a high-silica glass. The time and temperature of each pass is so regulated that each portion of the solution has a contact time of 2-5 seconds at a temperature of about 600-650" C. The cooled mixture which is obtained from this operation is diluted with 1400 parts of ether and extracted with several portions of 5 potassium hydroxide solution. The basic extract is washed with a small quantity of ether and then acidified with dilute hydrochloric acid, whereby there is obtained a precipitate of the crude product. This product is collected on a filter and crystallized from ethanol, whereby there is obtained purified estrone melting at about 260 C.

EXAMPLE 9 A solution of 3 parts of la-acetoXyl-androstene-3,17- dione in 720 parts of mineral oil is preheated to about 135 C. and passed in small portions through a heated tube constructed of an inert material and packed with chips of quartz or of a high silica glass. The manner of operation is such that each portion of the solution is maintained in the heated Zone at about 600650 C. for 2-5 seconds. The mixture which flows from the heating tube is rapidly cooled. diluted with about twice its volume of ether and extracted with several portions of 5% potassium hydroxide solution. The alkaline extract 0 CH3 I wherein R is a member of the class consisting of hydrogen and lower alkanoyl radicals.

2. 1a-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,l7-dione. 3. loc- (lower) alkanoyloxy-4-androstene-3 ,17-dione. 4. la-acetoxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kaufmann. July 8, 1952 2,715,640 Rails Aug. 16, 1955 2,737,518 Herzog. Mar. 6, 1956 2,748,150 Bergstrom May 29, 1956 

1. A COMPOUND OF THE FORMULA 